ProjectWith a grant from The Boeing Company, the Pan American Development Foundation (PADF) is working with a nonprofit in Chile to improve science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) training for teachers and students.

Implemented by Chilean nonprofit Fundación Ciencia Joven, the project will establish 20 STEM Academies at schools in the coastal city of Valparaíso. Each academy leads students in a 10-month afterschool STEM program. At the end of the term, students from each Academy will showcase what they’ve learned at a regional or national science fair. Teachers are also provided with extensive training and support to improve their leadership skills and capacity to teach STEM subjects.

The STEM Academies are working to address the need for improved training and equal access to resources. Any child who expresses interest in will be able to participate in the academy. The 10-month program will reach nearly 400 students and teachers.

The STEM Academies financed by Boeing are part of PADF’s regional public-private initiative called STEM in the Americas,which is working in Latin America and the Caribbean to inspiring the next generation of science and technology students. In addition to Chile, PADF has active STEM projects in Brazil, Mexico and Argentina.